§ 2-31. Specific powers.

The unified government shall have power:

(a)

To levy and collect taxes upon all property excepting only property exempt from taxation by general law;

(b)

To levy and collect taxes upon all taxable privileges and to license and regulate such privileges and privileged occupations;

(c)

To make appropriations for the support of the unified government, for any other purpose authorized by this Charter and for any purpose for which a county or city is authorized by law to appropriate; and to provide for the payment of the debts and expenses of the unified government and also the debts and expenses of the county and the city of which it is the successor;

(d)

To borrow money for the purposes and in the manner provided by law or provisions of the Charter;

(e)

To purchase, lease, construct, maintain or otherwise acquire, hold and operate any building or other property, real or personal, for any public purpose, and to sell, lease or otherwise dispose of any property, real or personal, belonging to the unified government;

(f)

To make regulations to secure the general health of the inhabitants and to prevent, abate and remove nuisances;

(g)

To lay out, open, extend, widen, narrow, establish or change the grade of, close, construct, pave, curb, gutter, adorn with shade trees, otherwise improve, maintain, repair, clean and light streets, roads, alleys and walkways of the unified government;

(h)

To provide for the prevention and punishment of crime;

(i)

To provide for the taking and appropriation of real property within the area of the unified government for any public purpose, when the public convenience requires it and in accordance with the provisions of the laws of the State of Kansas;

(j)

To accept or refuse gifts, donations, bequests or grants from any source for any purpose related to the powers and duties of the unified government;

(k)

To establish, maintain and operate a jail and a detention facility;

(l)

To acquire, own, maintain and operate public parks and playgrounds, and to equip and improve them with all suitable devices, buildings and other structures;

(m)

To collect and dispose of garbage and other refuse and to regulate the collection and provide for disposal of garbage and other refuse within the general services district;

(n)

To regulate the erection of buildings and all other structures, to compel the owner to provide and maintain fire escapes and other safety features, and to provide fire districts or zones and building zones; to prohibit, regulate or suppress, or provide for the destruction and removal of any building or other structure which may be or become dangerous or detrimental to the public;

(o)

To grant rights-of-way through the streets and roads, and over the bridges and viaducts, for the use of public utilities;

(p)

To regulate zoning;

(q)

To establish standard weights and measures; and to provide standards of quality for all food products used for human consumption;

(r)

To regulate, tax, license or suppress the keeping and going of all animals, including domestic fowl; and to impound the same and in default of redemption to sell or destroy the same;

(s)

To provide for the protection of animals and children, and to prevent cruelty to same;

(t)

To regulate the operation of motor vehicles and exercise control over all traffic, including parking, upon or across the streets, roads, alleys and walkways of the unified government;

(u)

To regulate, by license or otherwise, any skill, trade or occupation; unless prohibited by law;

(v)

To regulate the emission of smoke, the installation and maintenance of fuel-burning equipment, and the methods of firing and stoking furnaces and boilers;

(w)

To collect service charges to defray capital, installation and operation costs for the furnishing of any services within and outside the unified government;

(x)

To create, alter or abolish departments, boards, commissions, offices and agencies other than those specifically established by the Charter, and to confer upon the same necessary and appropriate authority for carrying out of all powers, including the promulgation of building plumbing, zoning, planning and other codes;

(y)

To enter into contracts and agreements with other governmental entities and also with private persons, firms and corporations with respect to furnishing services and the payments to be made therefor;

(z)

To determine such offices for which bonds shall be required and the amount therefor; and

(aa)

To provide penalties for violations of any ordinance or resolution adopted pursuant to the authority of law.

The commission may exercise its legislative authority either by ordinance, resolution, Charter ordinance or Charter resolution in the manner prescribed in the existing laws of the State of Kansas, the Charter ordinances of the former city council of Kansas City, Kansas, the Charter, or as hereinafter prescribed by the unified government commission.

(Code 1988, § 2-531; Res. No. R-1-97, § 2.01, 10-2-1997)